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Arthur Dimmesdale
Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale is a major character from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. He is the love interest of Hester Prynne and the biological father of Pearl. A well-known and respected Puritan minister in his community, Dimmesdale could not have the courage to reveal his adultery sin to the public and secretly punishes himself for it. His health begins to decline and had nearly confessed his sin to the town at his death. Description A young minister loved and worshipped by the Puritans, Arthur Dimmesdale is also a man who lacks the courage to reveal his secret to the townsfolk. While Hester Prynne was publicly shamed for adultery, Dimmesdale is shamed for it quietly and constantly torments himself physical and psychologically when he is having a hard time exposing the truth. He has true devotion to God and his religion, and knowing that not confessing his sin not just to the public but to God would have consequences for him. He may have been in love with Hester and fathered her child, but his sin was more greater than hers. He was present at Prynne's public shaming and defended her daughter from being taken away by authorities. He tried to be like a normal person, and had managed to keep his inner emotions private. He doesn't know when it would be the right time to confess his public sin and accept his punishment. He had lashed himself to torture himself and could have burned the "A" letter into his own flesh to atone for his sins. His health fails possibly from his stress that prevented him from being closer to Hester and from raising his daughter. While Dimmesdale never meant to have an illegitimate affair with Hester, he chose to die than live another day of guilt and shame. He died only showing a mark of his crime and not his full confession and let Hester and Pearl live a more decent life without him. Most sinners would receive their harsh punishments because they deserved it, but Dimmesdale hated himself for the actions he did and hoped that he may only be forgiven by God than Hester and the Puritans. Storyline Relationship with Hester Prynne Dimmesdale had received his education from an English university and settled in Boston. After he had formed his own congregation, Arthur Dimmesdale met and fell in love with a beautiful Puritan woman named Hester Prynne who had joined his religious group. Although she was already married, Prynne and Dimmesdale had an affair that resulted in her becoming pregnant and conceiving a daughter out of wedlock. At some point, Dimmesdale may had discovered about the illegitimate pregnancy and knew that he had done a terrible sin. He attempted to punish himself and had an "A" symbol carved onto his chest, either he had done it himself or he had someone else do it for him. Afterwards, he decides to keep his sin a secret from the townsfolk. Helping Hester Dimmesdale and his mentor, John Wilson, were present at Hester's public shaming where she stood on a scaffold with her 3-month-old baby in her arms for a few hours and received humiliation from the Puritans. After being persuaded by Wilson to talk to Prynne, Dimmesdale said a silent prayer to himself and questions Prynne who the name of her baby's father is, but she refuses. Dimmesdale was with Wilson when he delivered a sermon and Prynne was taken back to her prison cell. Category:Male characters Category:Love interests Category:17th-century characters Category:Fathers Category:Major Characters Who Die At The End Category:Characters Category:Deceased characters